LA Olympics 2028 to Make History with Schedule Change for Women, Men's 100m Races

Historic changes are coming to the women's and men's 100-meter race schedules at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Per ESPN's Alyssa Roenigk, the women's 100-meter final will take place on July 15, 2028, the first day of competition. It will be the first time in Olympic history that the women's 100-meter final will take place on the first day of competition.

Swimming events typically make up the majority of the first week of Olympic competition, with athletics events like track and field coming during the second week. In 2028, SoFi Stadium will host both swimming events and the opening ceremony, meaning the changes to the schedule were necessary to allow organizers to flip the venue after the opening ceremony.

The decision to move the women's 100-meter final to the first day of competition also comes amid increased attention on the event.

"The women's 100 meters will be one of the most-watched events, and we wanted to start with a showcase of the fastest females in the world," Shana Ferguson, chief of sport and Games delivery for LA28, said.

Though changing the schedule will help put the women's 100-meter final more in the spotlight, it also means that athletes will have to run each round of the event on the same day, rather than spread out across two days like in years past.

LA28 chief athlete officer Janet Evans said the conversation with the athlete commission about the change was "largely positive."

"We spoke at length with my athlete commission, and it was a largely positive conversation," Evans said. "There are trade-offs, but it's incredible to be the preeminent event on the first night of competition inside the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum."

The Olympic opening ceremony will take place on July 14, with the first day of competition the following day. The closing ceremony will take place on July 30.